Vehicle.



No. 766,485. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. J. E. ARMSTRONG.

VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Witnesses:- Invent;

UNITED STATES Patented August 2,

PATENT OFFICE.

VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,485, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed November 24,1903. Serial No. 1532, 144. (No model.)

To all 7071,0721, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J our: E. ARMSTRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Cruz, in the county of Santa Cruz and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vehicle construction, and especially to the mounting or suspension of the body of the vehicle upon springs by which it is supported from the axles or running-gear.

it consists in a novel means for suspending the body by swinging links and hangers and in the connection therewith of springs which are operated in unison to depress all parts of the body simultaneously without reference to the part upon which the load may be placed.

It also comprises details of construction which will bemore fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the body of a vehicle, showing my device. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of same.

In the ordinary construction of carriages and in mounting them upon springs the point upon which the weight is placed usually dotermines that that portion of the vehicle will be depressed more than any other portion.

.lt is the object of my invention to provide such a device and means for supporting the body with relation to the running-gear that the weight placed upon any point willdepress all portions of the body substantially the same.

As shown in the drawings, A represents the wheel-axles of the vehicle.

2 represents bolsters, and 3 represents the carriage-body, which may be of the usual or any suitable construction. Inorder to properly suspend this body from the bolsters and to give it the necessary elasticity and freedom of movement, 1 have shown the following devices.

t represents crank-arms formed upon shafts which are journaled to the bolsters in any suitable manner.

5 represents shafts extending across and turnable in boxes or supports on the carriagebody and near each end thereof. These shafts are bent or cranked, as shown at 6, and are connected with the pins of the cranks 4:, as shown. Conveniently disposed upon the shafts 5 are drums or equivalent projections, as at 7. These drums are so fixed as to be turnable with the shafts 5.

8 represents springs, here shown as being coiled about the shafts 5, having one end of each extended and fixed to the vehicle-body 3 and the other end of the coil attached to the drum or its equivalent T, so that the body is supported by the elasticity of these springs, and any depression of the body will by reason of the connection between the cranks at and 6 act to turn the shafts 5, and thus coil the springs 8 about the shafts. The tension of the springs will be increased by this coiling, and being properly proportioned for the weight they are designed to carry they will provide an elastic and easily-movable support for the carriage body. In order to operate these springs and supports in unison, I have shown a connection between the drums or the equivalent rocker-arins or part which consists of cords or rods, as at 9. These may be preferably made, as shown, crossing each other, so that one connects at the top of one of the drums and at the bottom of the other, and if two of these connections are used the other one will cross the first one diagonally, so that one end connects with the top of the drum or arm oppositc to the bottom connection of the other. Thus any movement to depress one end, corner, or side of the body will act to turn the connecting-cranks at and 6, and the crank 6, acting through its shaft 5, turns the drum 7, thus compressing the spring 8, and this spring and the rotation of the drum 7 by reason of this depression will act, through the connections 9. to simultaneously and synchronously rotate the other drum, thus acting through its spring to turn the shaft 5 and crank 6, so that both ends of the body are equally depressed without regard to what point the pressure may be applied to.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the running-gear of a vehicle and the body thereof of crankshafts. one pair journaled upon the bolsters and the other pair'near the ends of the body said crank-shafts journaled in substantially the same horizontal plane and'having their outer ends converging downwardly and movably connected, winding-drums fixed to the shafts journaled upon the body-springs coiled around the shaft having one end secured to the body and the other to the drum, and connections between the two drums and attached respectively to the upper and lower parts thereof whereby both are turnable in unison when pressure is applied to either end of the vehicle-body.

2. A vehicle-body or the like having shafts journaled near the ends, said shafts having crank-arms extended outwardly on each side of the body of the platform, links to which the ends of said cranks are connected, said crankarms and links diverging upwardly from their point of connection, drums secured to the crank-shafts beneath the body, coiled springs surrounding the shafts having one end of each connected with the platform and the nesses.

JOHN E. ARMSTRONG. Witnesses:

CHARLES W. HANOVER, B. A. TWOMBLY. 

